SC directs CDA to remove illegal lawyers' chambers, courtrooms.

Byline: Malik Asad

ISLAMABAD -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave the nod to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the district administration of Islamabad to remove lawyers' chambers as well as courtrooms illegally constructed on the football ground in F-8 within two months.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended the licences of 21 lawyers who stormed into the Chief Justice Block on Feb 8 after the CDA demolished their illegal chambers.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Sayyed Mazhar Ali Akbar Naqvi, dismissed an appeal filed by the Islamabad Bar Association (IBA) against the Feb 16 decision of the IHC to remove the illegal constructions.

A four-member bench of the IHC, headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah, had directed the CDA to restore the football ground in case the lawyers did not voluntarily vacate it by Feb 28.

During the course of hearing of the appeal before the apex court, Justice Naqvi restrained Hamid Khan Advocate from arguing on behalf of the IBA, saying since he was amicus curiae in the case, he should not argue on behalf of the appellant.

At the outset, the counsel for the IBA gave an undertaking to vacate the football ground in two months.

Subsequently, the apex court held that the CDA and the district administration will be free to demolish all constructions - illegal buildings/structures - on the football ground/park, clear the same and restore it for which the land was meant for.

The court was told that some court structures had also been erected on the football ground/park.

The bench directed the IHC registrar to remove the illegal structures of the courts and submit a report in a week.

Licences of lawyers suspended

A three-member bench of the IHC, comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Lubna Saleem Pervez, cancelled the licence of 21 lawyers for their alleged involvement in Feb 8 attack on the Chief Justice Block.

The court was hearing a complaint filed by the judicial registrar of the IHC.

The bench observed: 'We are, prima-facie, of the opinion that the twenty one respondents arrayed in the complaint in hand had committed grave acts of indiscipline and misconduct on the 8th of February, 2021. In exercise of powers conferred under section 54(1) of the Act of 1973, pending further proceedings, we hereby order suspension of the licenses of the twenty one respondents i.e...